The Last Succubus
by 4string
Summary: Canon,post-BD.Not long after the confrontation w/the Volturi & feeling lonely, Tanya travels around Europe & visits Forks on her way back to Alaska to find the last thing she expects. A lonely succubus & a lonely college student find solace w/one another.


**The Last Succubus**

**(One Shot for Fandom for Preemies)**

**Big thanks to my beta extraordinaire, PrincessKris! **

**Stephenie Meyer owns these characters. I only play with them from time to time.  
**

* * *

Tanya never complained about being mateless and she's never wanted for male companionship. Yes, she was attracted to Edward awhile back, but that was just physical desire and not a desire to make him her permanent companion. Throughout her hundreds of years, she's relished being a succubus and made no apologies for it. She's had ages to learn to control her bloodlust, and let the other form of lust seize powerl and take many human men to her bed or theirs, but now it's a little different. For the first time in her existence, she felt lonely.

It was a foreign emotion to her. Why now? Is it because Edward and Bella married and now have a family although most would have thought it impossible? No. She only wished the best for them and she truly took a liking to Bella and became good friends with her. Is it because of Irina's death and she is missing her sister? Although she does miss her sister terribly and is grieving the loss, this isn't that sort of loneliness. Even when Laurent spent time with them, focusing his attention on Irina, she wasn't jealous. The only difference that she can tell is that now Kate has a mate. When Irina had Laurent, she still had her other sister to relate to. She finally understood how Edward felt all these years as the lone single vampire in a house full of mated couples.

Being logical, she knows that you can't force finding your mate. It just happens and mostly when you least expect it. There's not a match making service out there for vampires though she started to wish there was. She talked with Carmen about this, but what could she say? She can only really be told to be patient, but after 1,000 plus years, she felt she has a right to be a little impatient at this point in her being.

She had taken to other diversions in the last few months. She visited her homeland, Russia, and caught up with some old acquaintances along the way. She visited Liam, Maggie and Siobhan in Ireland, and because she was desperate to prolong her trip, she even visited Stefan and Vladimir in Romania. That certainly was an experience. Nothing weird happened, but those guys are uber creepy and strange. They are where the Dracula myth came from, she was sure. Now she was headed to Seattle and then Forks to visit her extended family.

Now sitting in her first class seat on a Boeing 777, she rested her head back on the cushy navy leather seat and took time to reflect. After awhile she looked around to her fellow passengers. Maybe her mate is on this plane right now and doesn't know it yet? Nah. She sighed and busied herself with a copy of Vogue, the complimentary copy of Skymall, and even some Edgar Allan Poe that she had in her carry-on. She was in a gloomy mood after all. She had to laugh at herself when, during her layover in Atlanta, she kept looking around hoping to find someone worth being her mate. No, it didn't work that way. She bought some contemporary fiction in the little shop on the concourse after shrugging the silly thoughts away. She picked up the first in a series of vampire books. She enjoyed reading these types of novels since every author had a different take on her species and it always caused her to smile. This particular one was the first in a series about warrior vampires. She didn't like reading ones where the vamps were the bad guys.

She landed in Seattle, headed to Forks and drove her rented black Mercedes coupe up the winding driveway of the Cullen manor, excited to see her cousins and her mood picked up a bit.

"We missed you so much!" Alice exclaimed while bounding down the front steps with the rest of the Cullens in tow.

"Wow, Nessie. You've grown so much. You must have grown half a foot since I saw you last." Then Esme, ever the hostess, piped up, "Tanya, please feel free to stay as long as you would like. If you need some space for yourself, feel free to use any of the guest rooms."

Once she settled in and checked in with Kate, she told every one of her adventures. Alice was most excited to hear about her trip to Paris and she modeled some of her new purchases for the ladies. She had wanted to visit Milan and Rome, but she didn't want to touch Italy with a ten foot pole because she didn't even want to be in the same country as the Volturi. The thought made her skin crawl.

Bella and Edward left to take Nessie to their cottage for the night and many of the others were going out on a quick hunt. She might as well do the same.

She giggled as she bounded over streams, swung from limbs and hopped off boulders. She sincerely loved this part of being a vampire. Relishing in the cool night breeze, she stopped when she picked up a human sent. There were three human heartbeats, male. Men always smelled different than females. She leapt lightly closer to the clearing to get a better look. It appeared to be a guys' weekend camping as she eyed the three tents and extinguished campfire.

She didn't know why, but she couldn't make herself leave the area. She had come across campers many times and just covertly left them alone and they never knew she was ever there. What's holding her here? She stayed perched high up in the redwood keeping an eye on things below. As dawn crept upon her, she anxiously awaited to spy the outdoorsmen. She started to feel a bit creepy.

A tall dark haired guy who appeared to be around 20 was the first to appear. With her keen eyesight, she couldn't help but be a little turned off by his oily hair and acne scars. A flap opened and one of his friends appeared. This guy was better looking. He was sort of the all American jock type.

"Hey, Eric, why did you get up so early? It's barely light outside." Eric's companion grumbled some more to himself.

"I couldn't get a good night's sleep in this crappy sleeping bag. Tyler, is there any Advil left? I had too much beer last night. My head is throbbing," he said while rubbing his temples.

As Tyler tossed the bottle to Eric, bachelor number three opened his tent and Tanya gasped, almost too loud. He looked familiar. She then remembered him from Bella and Edward's wedding, but that wasn't why she was mesmerized. She felt an undeniable pull toward the baby-faced blue-eyed blonde. She watched with rapt attention. Why did she not give him more than a passing notice back then?

"Yo, Mike, sorry we woke ya up," Eric bellowed while swigging down a bottle of water.

"That just means you have to take down my tent for me and pack up all my stuff." His deep, rich voice was a smooth caress to Tanya's ears.

She watched the trio for a little bit longer, but eventually tore herself away. She didn't want to be some freaky stalker or peeping tom. She'd have to find out who this Mike fellow was by asking one of the Cullens. They would know him since he attended the wedding, so it won't be hard to get info.

The moment she walked into the Cullen household, Edward looked at her, mouth agape.

"No freaking way, Tanya. No. It can't be. No, No, No." He vigorously shook his wild hair, making it even wilder. If he had a beating heart, she thought that he might have a stroke right then and there.

She furrowed her brow and asked, "What? What's the big deal? Why are you on the verge of having a coronary? You should be happy for me. I think I found my mate." Squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin, she tried to be upbeat, but it was hard with Edward grumbling to himself. "Edward, you've got to tell me about him." She looked at him defiantly with her hands on her hips, daring him to not give up the details. She was so caught up in the confrontation that she didn't notice the rest of the family gather at the edge of the room. Alice was chuckling to herself.

"Oh, take a chill pill, Edward," Alice laughed. She made a conscious effort to block him from her head by replaying a vision she had of Emmett and Rosalie doing some erotic role-play, and he gave her a death glare. "It's not fair if you find out what's going to happen. Normal people don't have seers as family, Edward. Let Tanya have her fun in discovering him the normal way."

"What just happened here?" Rosalie asked.

"Tanya has found her mate and he's human," Alice said with a huge smirk on her small face. "Mike Newton."

A collective gasp echoed off the walls and Tanya huffed and headed out back for some time alone to collect herself.

A door opened softly behind her. Bella sat next to her friend on the back stairs and gave her an encouraging nudge on the shoulder.

"Edward's always had some weird grudge against Mike. When I first moved here, he wanted to go out with me, but it was only because I was the new thing in town. Not much happens around here. You have to take advantage of the excitement when you can get it," Bella chuckled out. "I'll tell you all I know about him. He's at UDub about to start his sophomore year. Up until recently, he dated my classmate Jessica, she came to our wedding with him, but she dumped him for some guy in law school this past January. I don't see how that will last." She continued laughing and gave the 411 on Mike Newton.

xxx

Tanya set her plan in place. They needed to actually meet. It was strange to think she may have found her mate and he hadn't even seen her yet. She shook her head and laughed at the nonsense of it all. Nothing about this situation was normal. Will there be an epidemic of vampires mating with humans?

Bella told her that during summers and school breaks, Mike worked in his parents' outdoor supply store. That explained the camping. And he heads back to Seattle in two weeks for fall semester. There would be no rush to change him as she was changed when she was 22, so he could finish out college. They could use a cover-up story and Mike can tell everyone he got an amazing job offer in Alaska. That would at least allow him to get through the first year of the change without alarming his parents. It will give him the excuse of not seeing them much after graduating and can gradually loosen the ties. She had it all planned out. Now she just had to get him on board. She had no problem if he wanted to stay human for longer than that, but not so much longer that they would look odd together. She was used to having human lovers, after all. She also wondered if she had picked up Edward's control freak tendencies after knowing him all these decades.

She was tense with excitement and nerves as she pulled into the Newton's Outfitters' parking lot. Alice told her he would be working today. This was so completely new to her. Getting a male companion was always effortless for her and now she was going to have to work at it. She basked in the idea of a challenge and a giggle burst out.

"I'm turning into such a girl," she said in the quiet of her car. "And now I'm talking to myself. Okay. Let's go." She took a deep breath and strolled across the lot with confidence.

xxx

It was another routine day in the store. With the nice weather, there were always kayakers, hikers and campers coming in and out, but he felt suffocated. The guys camping weekend helped cheer him up a bit, but he couldn't wait to get back to campus and out of Forks. Forks reminded him too much of Jessica Stanley and he had run into her and her 'older man' a few times this summer. It was awkward to say the least.

He heard the bell ding, signaling he had a customer. "I'll be right there," he said loudly while putting away the last fishing pole in the display he was working on.

He looked up and gasped. What on Earth? A goddess just walked into his store. She was easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. She was tall for a woman, probably around 5-feet 7-inches, with strawberry blond curls that cascaded almost to her waist. She was Lady Godiva reincarnated. Her body would give any supermodel a run for her money. She was the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition and a Playboy pin-up all in one.

He finally found his voice. "Um. Hi. Is there anything I can help you with?" He hoped she didn't notice the slight nervousness in the sound.

"Yes," she replied in the most beautiful voice he ever heard. It sounded slightly Eastern European or Russian. "I'm in town visiting my extended family, the Cullens."

_Great_, he thought. She's one of _them_. However, he stopped caring about that in a matter of seconds as she looked deep into his eyes. She strode closer to him and stood a few inches below his 5-foot-eleven frame.

"I'm Tanya. I believe I remember you from Bella and Edward's wedding. I'm his cousin, visiting from Alaska." She smiled a gorgeous smile and held out her hand. When he shook it, there was a jolt of electricity pass through them both. He was amazed she would remember him. He remembered seeing a group of extremely attractive people, but they stayed to themselves. She was one of them.

"It, it's great to meet you, Tanya."

His eyes were like light blue sapphires or blue topaz. She would miss them after changing him.

"Yes. I've recently gotten into camping and hiking and wondered if you have any good recommendations for hiking boots and camping gear?"

He was putty in her pale hands. A hot woman who loves the outdoors? He was in heaven.

While he led her around the store and explained the pros and cons of various equipment, she used any excuse to touch him or let her look linger. She couldn't read minds like Edward thus she didn't know how thick she needed to lay it on so he would get the hint. This was also not like her past hook-ups that she met in various bars. This guy was a long term investment. This relationship needed to be nurtured.

"Do you hike? I will need a guide. I could ask one of the Cullens to do it, but Bella and Edward are still in the honeymoon phase." She playfully rolled her eyes, "and Carlisle works so much. The girls really aren't into that sort of thing. Would you be able to be my guide?" She unleashed her succubus wiles in full force. Bella always said Edward 'dazzled' her and now she was trying to 'dazzle' Mike.

In a daze, he rang up her new hiking boots and she said she would be back the next day to pick up her tent since her coupe didn't have room. She would borrow Emmett's Jeep. It was also an excuse to see him again.

"Can I have your number in case I can't pick it up tomorrow or need outdoor tips?"

"Uh, uh, sure." He shook his head coming out of his trance and they swapped phone numbers.

The moment she left the store, he called Tyler.

"You won't believe the woman I just met!"

xxx

Over the next couple of weeks, she used any excuse to go to his store or call him. He had even chalked up the nerve to ask her on a date which she eagerly accepted. They saw an action movie with Matt Damon in it. He offered to take her to dinner, but she told him not to worry about it. She made up an excuse about Esme wanting to have a family dinner that night in Tanya's honor since they didn't get to see each other much. The excuse seemed to work.

Mike always thought that something was _off_ about the Cullens, but couldn't quite place it. Yes, they were all inhumanly beautiful, but that wasn't it. They had a weird aura about them; there was really no other way to put it. Tanya emitted this aura as well. Was it a family thing? No, they're all adopted. She referred to herself as a Cullen cousin and when pressed, she claimed she was Carlisle's younger sister. Something seemed off about that too. What was up with this family? He was falling for this girl, but so much was a mystery. She was smart, beautiful, funny, and actually cared about his opinions on things.

Additionally, what was up with her cool skin? Most people would say it was ice cold, but it wasn't literally that cold. It seemed almost room temperature—definitely colder than the norm. He had to get to the bottom of it and he would inquire tonight. They had plans to see a band play in Port Angeles. He would ask after the show.

Dating, or courting as Edward would say, was a totally new concept for her. In the past, human men served their purpose and each went his own way afterward, but she had grown insanely attached to this human male in a matter of moments. One thing she did enjoy was running into his ex while enjoying a day in Port Angeles. The girl saw Mike and strutted over with her new guy intending to try to make him jealous, but when he turned around, and then saw he was with _her_ and the girl almost blew a blood vessel.

They thoroughly enjoyed the band they saw at a little dive bar in town, but Mike seemed preoccupied. She didn't want to push and figured he would tell her what ever was on his mind when he was ready. When they were back in his Suburban, he finally asked the big question.

"Tanya, I've really enjoyed these last few weeks with you. I'd like to continue to see you after I go back to school. I know Alaska is quite far away even for a long-distance relationship, but I'd like to give it a chance if you want to."

"Of course. I don't want any of this to end either." The thought of leaving made her physically ill. The thought was painful. Mates aren't used to being away from each other for an extended period of time.

Mike spoke again. "There's something I need to ask you and it will probably seem off the wall, but what _are_ you? I mean, uh... You and your family aren't like others. It doesn't bother me because I know I want to be with you, but there's something _off_." He scrunched up his nose when he said 'off.' "It's the eating thing, the colder body temperature, and I don't know….. there's this weird aura or something." He hoped she didn't think he was loony. "I must sound insane."

She looked down, searching for the right words. She took a big gulp of air. "You're right. I'm not normal. What do you think I am?" She whispered out.

They both looked down, fidgeting.

"You've got me, Tanya. I'd say vampire, but that can't be it." She gasped internally. "You're pale, cold and I've never seen you eat. And thinking about it further, I don't think I've ever seen any of the Cullens eat. If you were a vampire, you would have fangs and probably would have tried to snack on me already." He chuckled. "I guess I watch too much _True Blood_," he continued laughing at himself.

"Um. You're not too far off. Actually, you're dead on—no pun intended." She gave a wry smile and looked down at her lap.

Mike's eyes grew big as saucers and he shook his head over and over.

"No. Vampires don't exist. Don't mess with me. I'm serious."

"I am too." She looked him straight in the eyes, hoping to get the sincerity of her words though.

"Are you delusional? I'm serious. Do the Cullens know that you think you are a vampire?"

"They're vampires too. Even Bella is one now."

"Yeah, sure." He rolled his eyes.

"I'll prove it to you. Let's take a drive to the forest."

He put the car in reverse and headed to part of the Olympic Natonal forest off the 101. He figured that he would humor her, but things remained tense and quiet on the drive over. Mike was beginning to get ticked that she was playing with him. Yes, he thought she was strange, but he definitely didn't expect her to say she's a vampire. How ridiculous!

He parked and looked at her expectantly. "Well? Why did you want to come here? So you could suck my blood dry and dispose of my body?"

"Don't even joke about that! That's not in the least bit funny. Come on. Let's get out," she snapped.

He followed her about a mile in to a quiet, remote part of the forest. She felt silly doing this, but she had to prove what she is.

"I'm over 1,000 years old and my human life began in Kiev in what's now known as the Ukraine." With that, she sped at lightning speed and when she stopped right in front of him, his mouth formed an O and seemed dazed. Then she pulled some thick branches from a nearby tree and climbed up agilely like a cat.

"Do you believe me now?" He nodded his head silently, sinking down on a fallen trunk, and she dove into her complete story from memories of her human life to her vampire existence. At the end, she explained about vampires and their mates and told of when she first spied him which made his eyes bug out more. She also explained the 'newborn' year, thirst and if she changed him, he'd need to be isolated from humans more or less.

"Um. I need time to process this. I need to go home. I need to think. I'll take you home now." He kept shaking his head like he wanted to shake the insanity of the situation away.

They stood facing each other once they reached his car and he didn't know what to say. Tanya, not sure when she would see him again, if at all, put her hands around his neck and kissed him with what she hoped was the kiss of all kisses. She had to know what he felt like and wished this kiss would leave him wanting more.

This kiss was like nothing he had ever felt before. He'd kissed plenty of girls, but this one was like an out of body experience. Electricity jolted between them and kissing her felt so right. He didn't mind her cool lips. They tasted sweet.

They stood there kissing for a good thirty minutes and then she moved her lips up and down his neck. He tensed and she smiled against his skin.

"Don't worry. I won't bite… unless you want me to," she said in a low, sultry voice. A nervous laugh escaped his mouth.

"No thank you. I'm okay."

"Call me," she whispered in his ear. "I'm going to run home. I hope to see you soon, but I'll give you the space you may need."

With that, she dashed off into the woods like a streak of fire.

xxx

A week later, Mike returned to UW with his mind jumbled. He hadn't talked to Tanya since she ran off into the woods. He was so confused. How on Earth was he supposed to take her bombshell? He tried to distract himself with moving back in his dorm and buying all the textbooks he would needed for his full load of classes although it wasn't easy.

He also tried to get back into the fun atmosphere with his fraternity brothers, but his heart just wasn't into the light hearted environment. He missed Tanya—plain and simple. But he couldn't just abandon his family and friends. He had a life. He had to finish college. He wouldn't throw that away.

What made things even tougher is when girls would flirt with him at parties and other social activities. When those coeds approached him, he would only see Tanya. Mike would always do a double take if he spied a girl with long, curly strawberry blonde hair just to be disappointed to find that it wasn't her he was checking out. He was always an attractive guy, but after graduating from high school, his muscles filled out a bit more and his face lost some of the softness of childhood. He looked more like a man than a boy now and his female classmates took notice. He only wanted one woman to notice him and he had no idea where she was. He assumed she headed back to Alaska. He wasn't about to call the Cullens and ask about her.

A month into the semester, he turned twenty and his frat brothers planned a big party in his honor. The guys wanted to lift him out of his funk. Actually, they looked for any reason to throw a fiesta regardless.

Although his birthday was really this past Wednesday, the party was Saturday night. He walked through the front door of the house and plastered on his best party-boy smile. His fraternity big brother, Kristopher, approached him with a red solo cup full of amber liquid.

"It's the birthday boy!" he boomed out and the room exploded into applause. Mike made a show of bowing, waving his arm as in presentation, and took possession of the cup.

The majority of the night consisted of drinking games, grinding up against female companions, and keg stands. He managed to come out of his funk a little, but the party was finally winding down and he knew he was in no shape to drive and his dorm was just too far of a walk in his state, not to mention it being three in the morning.

"Yo, Mikey! Do you need a lift back to your place? I'm headed to Kristine's and it's on the way if you want to drop you off," his friend Jason offered.

"Sure, but are you okay to drive?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I haven't had much and my last beer was at least an hour ago."

"Okay, let's go," Mike relented, yet still a little cautious. He friend seemed okay to drive. He wasn't slurring his speech and appeared to be in total control of his motor skills. Some of the others there were much worse off.

Jason pulled around to the front of the house in his black Toyota SUV, honked and waved Mike over to join him. Mike was already pretty beat so he and Jason mellowed by listening to the college radio station and let his head loll back against the headrest. Before he could register what was happening, a deer darted out in front of the vehicle making Jason take a sharp curve to the left attempting to avoid the animal. Unfortunately, he did not realize that the only thing to their left was steep hillside.

xxx

She had been watching him on the sly. When she didn't hear back from him before he left for Seattle, she decided that she could at least be his guardian angel of sorts. She couldn't bear to be miles away although having to lurk in the shadows was a pain and made her feel a bit creepy. However, it was easy for her to blend in on campus. She looked like an undergrad and with the campus being so large made it even easier.

It calmed her dead heart when she observed that he took no notice of the other young women at U Dub. She hoped it was because she was still on his mind. She would kill to have Edward's ability, but she did regularly check in with Alice to ask if she had seen anything big happening. So far, there wasn't much to report.

Mike was attending a birthday part tonight and she debated on leaving well enough alone, but Alice called her frantic.

"Tanya, I just had a vision of Mike. He's going to let a guy who shouldn't be driving give him a lift home, a deer is going to run out in front of them and they're going to wreck, falling into a ravine. I hope I'm not too late. It was a last minute decision. Do what you can to find him."

She slapped the phone shut and cursed herself for letting tonight be the first time in weeks she let him out of her sight.

"Just my luck," she mumbled to herself and broke out into a sprint. She first checked the fraternity house. His scent was recent, but he was no longer there and so she followed the trail. She let out a blood curdling yell when she saw the under side of an SUV at the bottom of the gully. "Maybe I'm on time. Please still be alive, Mike, please," she prayed.

Dashing down the decline, the smell of blood almost overwhelmed her thirst. Without a second thought, she yanked the door off the car and only heard one heartbeat. "Please be Mike's!" she whispered. Fate was smiling upon her because he was still clinging to life, but barely. She had to act quickly. Without a second thought, she bit his jugular and wrists just before pulling him from the truck. Oh no! She smelled gas. For both hers and his safety, they had to get out of dodge. His jacket and shirt got stuck, but she ripped him out of them just in time to run twenty feet away and watch the truck explode.

When he began to writhe in pain, she called Carlisle asking if she could bring him to Forks. She had never turned anyone before and Carlisle was a pro with the change. She thought it might be a little comforting to wake near people he knows and in his hometown.

xxx

Three long days. Three long agonizing days. Tanya sat with Mike through the whole process. She held his hand, talked to him, kissed his cheeks. She wanted to do all she could in her power to make this less frightening, if such a thing was possible. During those days, Kate called checking up on his status and said her and the others were excited to meet her mate, but didn't want to overwhelm him so they'd wait for her to make it back up to Denali. He would have enough to deal with without meeting his future in-laws, for lack of a better word. Tanya never though a whole lot about marriage, but that had changed when she rescued him from the wreck. If Mike wanted to get married, she thought a double wedding with Kate and Garrett would be wonderful. She wanted him tied to her in every way possible.

Bella and Edward kept tabs on the greater Seattle and local news. The fatal wreck made headlines the next day. Though the car and its insides were burnt almost to ashes, his jacket, shirt and drops of blood made the authorities assume he perished with his friend. How could he have survived otherwise? The funeral was to happen that afternoon. Esme, Edward, and Bella planned to attend. Tanya wanted Alice near to help curb any surprises. Jasper was needed because he had so much experience with newborns and Carlisle had been through this many times over, it was a comfort to have him near. Rose and Emmett were hanging back to be an extra set of strong arms to help contain him if he got out of control upon waking. Rosalie was always sad when a human life got transformed into a vampire one, but she knew it was life or death for him so she didn't hold a grudge against Tanya. She had done the same when she found Emmett.

"Don't worry, Tanya. It will be fine. He'll wake in about two hours. The rest of the family will be back from the memorial service before then," Alice said, without a care in the world.

She patiently watched him complete the transformation and he was utterly breathtaking. She was one lucky vamp, indeed.

xxx

_Two months later…_

Mike could barely take in his life, existence or whatever one wants to call it. It was filled with bitterness and happiness. The happy part was being with Tanya, forever, and now he could see her with his newer, sharper eyes. If he thought she was spectacular before, she was beyond his imagination now. He and Tanya lived in the Denali wilderness with the rest of his new family, the Cullen's extended family. As yet, he had not ventured anywhere near humans and was working on containing his rampant thirst.

He was bummed that he wouldn't get to finish school in the immediate future, but everyone said that if he really wanted to complete his degree, Jasper would break into the UW computer system and put together new transcripts with his new identity, Michael Patterson (his mother's maiden name), so he could transfer and start out by taking online classes and when his thirst is under better control attend on campus at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.

He and Tanya had not yet been intimate due to his obsession with blood. Bear blood, fox blood, moose blood, blood, blood, blood. He absolutely gorged himself and his eyes were already a burnt orange. He thoroughly enjoyed hunting to everyone's amusement. Tanya, however, was getting a little impatient. She, after all, was one of the original succubi who finally had her mate.

"Let's go for a hunt, Mikhail," she purred and waggled her fingers seductively. 'Mikhail' was her nickname for him and what she called him most of the time although the others still called him plain old Michael or Mike. He called her 'tsarina.'

She didn't have to ask him twice.

Tanya got a head start and began disrobing, leaving a trail of clothes for Mike to follow. For the first time in a while, he had a different sort of thirst. A boot here, a jacket there, then another boot. As he claimed each piece of clothing, his excitement grew. He thought he would bust a non-existent blood vessel when he saw her lacy red bra dangling from a branch and spied, then, the matching thong swaying from a limb a few trees ahead.

He continued to follow her sweet scent and when he finally found his prey, he would have passed out had it been possible. There she was, lying naked as the day she was born while stretched out on the white snow and stretching her arms high above her head with a come hither look. After one second of seeing her hooded eyes and arching back, he pounced.

She helped rip his clothes off while rolling in the soft snowdrift and they nibbled on each other's lips, ears, and necks. He had seen naked women before and wasn't a virgin. He had had a few one nighters his freshman year of college, but he had never seen anything more beautiful than his Tanya naked and waiting for him to claim her. She put all Playboy Playmates to shame. She was equally excited because it had been centuries since she had a vampire lover. She could be as rough with him as she wanted. No worry about breakage here.

The frenzy stopped. Mike lay atop her and paused, staring into her gold eyes with a tenderness she had never seen. He began to stroke her hair and cheeks.

"I love you, forever" he whispered with flooding emotion.

"Always," she cooed back and pulled his mouth to hers.

He finally entered her and she had never felt such ecstasy. She figured it was the ecstasy of finally coupling with one's mate, the true other half. His bliss was likewise, astonishing. No other past sexual encounter could ever compare.

"Mikhail," she murmured and smirked, "we get to do this forever and never get tired."

"So what are we waiting for?"

They went for round two, three, four…

It was going to be weeks before the others would see them appear again at the large cabin. Alice would call and tell the others not to worry if they didn't figure it out before then.

* * *

**AN: I always thought Mike and Tanya deserved some HEA. ;) The vampire novel that Tanya bought in the airport is Dark Lover by J.R. Ward. 'Kristopher' and 'Kristine' are in honor of my beta PrincessKris. Link to the banner is in my profile. Please also check out my multi-chapter fic, The Legend of Green Eyes-a B/E ghost story.  
**

**Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  
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